For Love's Sake
by Chungable
Summary: Alice is comfortable in her new life, she's found a place where she loves and is loved. At least the very last, that's what she had believed. AlicexBoris AliceXBlood OCxBoris
1. Forgetting

Alice leaned back in her chair, watching Julius' deft hands as he competently fixed one clock after another. They were feather light in their work, each touch a gentle caress as he brought them back to life. Her mind began to wander as he worked; she'd had a fantastic day at the amusement park with Boris. Alice admired his sixth sense for her mood swings, always pouncing on any chance to make her laugh when a smile refused to grace her face. He had to be the most carefree person… cat ever, Alice mused. It seemed as if a trouble never prodded its way into his life, his innocent outlook on life was adorable in its own right. The day had flown by with Boris, despite the day lasting much longer than usual and, Alice glanced at the window as the sun began to rise, the night a little too short. She subtly hid her yawn behind the back of her hand, but nothing seemed to escape Julius.

"How many times have I told you not to push yourself trying to help me?" he chastised, already pulling her out of her chair and ushering her off to bed. Alice protested, squirming away from his firm hand.

"Look! It's already morning!" Alice argued, finger pointing stubbornly outside the window. Julius let out a sigh, rubbing his forehead in irritation.

"Then sleep for the next two time periods, you look like you're about to fall asleep standing up," Julius commanded, already shutting the door behind him and heading back to his desk. Alice reluctantly pulled her dress over her skinny frame, changing deftly into her nightshirt and collapsing unceremoniously onto the bed. Her eyelids fluttered over tired eyes, and within moments her mind began to wander.

"It seems you've made yourself comfortable here," Nightmare commented lazily. Alice started for a moment. Almost unconsciously, it seemed as if she had paved a path for herself, she had not even noticed her steady fusion into the new world.

"I guess…" Alice replied hesitantly, not sure what Nightmare was trying to get at. Not that he was ever straight forward; he seemed to think cryptic speech came with the job description.

"Have you considered it? Staying?" he broached in a casual manner, his eyes were trained on her face intently, however, waiting for the answer. Alice, for the second time, found herself caught off guard. She had found people who she cared for, people who loved her, why was there any reason to leave? But something scratched at the back of her mind, insistently demanding her attention. What was it? Something she had forgotten?

"What… what do I have to go back to?" Alice finally inquired, and then a more pressing thought occurred. "Where am I going back to if I don't stay?" For a fleeting moment, a triumphant expression crowned Nightmare's haughty expression, and then disappeared so quickly that Alice thought she may have imagined it.

"That's for you to know, isn't it?" Even his last words began to fade as Alice fell into the black, her mind wiped blank as Nightmare departed from her.

"Alice, Alice," a gentle voice shook her awake, but Alice groaned and turned away, squeezing her eyes tight against the bright lights intruding upon her peaceful sleep. A hard pinch to her arm finally woke her, startling her into sitting up in bed. A slightly amused Julius was standing before her, arms crossed and a smile playing at his lips.

"I didn't quite literally mean you could sleep two time periods," he said immediately, already walking out of the room. "There's someone waiting for you." Alice stared after him. Two time periods? Oops. She struggled out of bed and threw on her dress, tripping in her rush to get out. Her joints felt tight and her muscles cramped after lying still for such a long period of time. She froze at the threshold of Julius' room, surprised to see Boris slouched comfortably in a chair.

"Alice! You're finally awake. I didn't know people could sleep for two time periods!" Boris laughed his delightful laugh, eyes lighting up brightly. Alice rolled her eyes, ignoring the snub.

"What're you doing here?" she questioned, raising an eyebrow at the mysterious package before him. Boris grinned and, with a flourish, lifted off the white cloth. Inside held chocolates and sweets galore, Alice's mouth watered slightly at the sight.

"Remember you said yesterday that you wanted sweet stuff. I don't really get it but," Boris shrugged and pushed the package towards her, "here!" Alice grinned and sniffed a little, taking in the savory smells of the chocolate she had been denied for so long. Boris got up and was already half way through the door before Alice could get a word out.

"Going already? You came all this way!" Alice protested as he slipped out. Boris waved a hand and stuck his head through the door.

"Gowland said I had to come right back or else he'd get mad. And Gowland mad's kinda scary, so I'm heading right back like he said," Boris explained in one quick breath, head out the door before he finished his last sentence. Julius, for once, put down his work and sighed, staring forlornly at the closed door. Alice turned away from her sweets rather reluctantly at the sound, and was surprised at the expression on Julius' face. It was unlike anything she had seen on the clockmaker, a sense of nostalgia and longing ran through her, so deep and intense were his emotions. She sat quietly in a chair, entranced by this side of Julius she had never seen.

"What's wrong?" she demanded. Julius shook his head as if he had been lost elsewhere, his hands automatically returning to their work. "Julius, what's wrong?" He glanced up at her, eyes still slightly glassy and glazed.

"Boris is a liar. It's the anniversary you know," he replied cryptically, and refused to say anymore on the subject.


	2. What If?

A/N: If anyone happened to see the faulty chapter 2, I wrote it and decided I didn't like it, but my sister saw it opened on my computer and thought she was doing me a favor by uploading it for me and such, but I had been planning on tossing the entire thing. Oh well, it's the thought that counts. Anyways, enjoy the second chapter. (:

Alice flipped idly through a book, mind elsewhere as she nibbled on the side of a chocolate bar. Where did she have to go? There must be somewhere for her, somewhere she had come from? And who was it? Who was that person waiting for her to go back? Questions echoed through her head, dumbfounding questions that could not be answered.

The book fell from Alice's hands and she bent over in agony as sharp pains hammered at the sides of her head. She heard Julius' concerned voice, but from so far away, it seemed it could not reach her as her head rang in pain. Alice could not think of anything, only the sharp hammering in her head, could not remember the questions that had been so insistent just moments ago. Forgetting… forgetting it all. And then, as suddenly as it had begun, Alice found herself free of pain, and she immediately stretched up and assured Julius she was fine absentmindedly. What had she been thinking about again? Alice shrugged and recollected her book, if she couldn't remember anymore it must not have been very important. However, just as she found herself settled snuggly back into her chair, a loud rapping on the door interrupted her bliss. Julius let out an irritated sigh.

"Go get that Alice, it's for you," he mumbled, not taking his eyes off a particularly battered clock. Alice did not question it but dragged herself reluctantly out of her seat, dragging the door open and revealing Elliot March.

"Elliot! How're you doing?" Alice asked brightly, glad to see her spirited friend again, it had been days. His ears twitched with delight, a smile gracing his face.

"Good, better now. Boss says," he paused for a moment and shrugged uncomfortably, "well he rather demands that you come to visit him today. It's his way of an invitation though." Elliot explained hurriedly, the slightest tinge of red creeping into his cheeks. Alice sighed, despite Elliot's insistence that it was an invitation, she doubted she had much of a choice in the matter, and there rarely was any choice when it came to Blood. Elliot snapped his fingers suddenly, causing Alice to jump as she came out of thought.

"I forgot, he also said that someone you liked would be there, and I'm supposed to tell you that if it seemed like you didn't want to come, and he assures you that he isn't inviting you because he wants you there," Elliot stated sweetly, a proud grin pulling up the corners of his mouth that he had remembered Blood's message exactly as he had been ordered. Alice, on the other hand, frowned in irritation.

"Who does Blood think he is? I'm not going to go prancing at his feet if he doesn't want me to be there. You can tell him to have a wonderful afternoon all by himself and I hope he rots in his own horrible maliciousness," Alice fumed, turning on her heel and already halfway back to her chair.

"You two are bothering my work so go with him Alice. The rabbit looks like he's about to cry," Julius commanded, not looking up once. Alice turned and, indeed, she would not have been surprised if tears had filled Elliot's eyes. His ears hung down and the bright expression had been wiped off of his face. Or at least for a moment. At Julius' words, his eyes flashed steel and his hand was already on his gun.

"I'm _not_ a rabbit!" he roared, his ears quivering with rage. Alice sighed and grabbed Elliot's arm, dragging him out the door. They walked the entire way to the mansion in silence, Elliot muttering under his breath the many reasons he was not a rabbit, and the many things he was going to do to Julius if he ever got the chance. Alice slipped quietly past Dum and Dee, who had fallen asleep at their posts, and smiled to herself at Peter took his rage out on them, thoroughly chastising their incompetence. A guard stopped her, stooping low as he did.

"Master asks that you meet him in the garden, if you please," he requested, pointing the way towards the garden. Comprehension suddenly dawned on Alice. _He_ had not asked her to come because he had wanted her there, there was someone else waiting for her. Alice's thoughts raced as her footsteps became quicker and quicker. She had been invited to the Hatter's mansion because the person who was waiting for her was…

"Queen!" Alice exclaimed, bursting through the arc and grinning at the beautiful woman before her. Vivaldi smiled benevolently, graceful in even the small nod of her head as she acknowledged Alice.

"We are much pleased that you show such enthusiasm upon seeing us," she answered regally, gesturing towards the chair placed across the small table from her. Alice smiled again, taking her place at the Queen's right side.

"You would have thought she was invited to the castle, not to _my_ mansion," Blood commented sulkily after several minutes had passed, obviously irate that he had not received a greeting upon Alice's entrance. Alice barely glanced in his direction, intent upon her conversation with Vivaldi.

"We were most furious when we found out the King had snuck out of the castle to visit his mistress. We were most keen upon ordering her execution, but he would not let us!" Vivaldi cried indignantly, a horrified look crossing her face. Alice felt the corners of her lips tug up slightly. Alice always adored the way Vivaldi spoke of the King; she did not even seem to realize how strongly her affection showed on her face as she spoke of him. Alice soon became absorbed in the conversation, laughing at Vivaldi's jokes, smiling as the strong and independent woman before her spoke so confidently. Blood suddenly cleared his throat, interrupting a particularly animated story that Vivaldi had been telling.

"What is it? We do not appreciate your disturbance," she exclaimed haughtily, turning her head to give her brother a steely look. Blood laughed a little bit, holding out his hand and lifting his dear sister to her feet.

"I would love nothing more than to hear two women… one woman and one little child gossip along all day," he began sarcastically, a smirk framing his handsome face, "but I do believe the castle will begin to notice if you are gone any longer." Vivaldi nodded her head in reluctant agreement with a sigh.

"We will take our leave then. And Alice, we insist that you sleep here tonight, the forest is a dangerous place on this particular day," with that she was off, not leaving a moment for Alice to protest.

"I will _not_ sleep here tonight, I believe I will take my leave as well," Alice countered, already on her way out of the garden. A tutting sound from Blood stopped her, blood boiling in her veins at the conceited man.

"Actually, you will. Elliot went out and the twins are hardly reliable to escort you back. Vivaldi was not making a joke," Blood paused for a moment, a morose expression settling upon his face. "The forest is dangerous today." Alice raised her eyebrows at that. What in the world was so special about today? Boris couldn't pause for a single moment, even though he normally volunteered any extra time he had. Today was some sort of anniversary of some sort, the woods were dangerous, and for some reason it seemed as if day had dragged on for forever.

"Why is the day so long today?" Alice asked finally, curiosity getting the best of her. And it seemed the safest question to ask out of the three. However, Blood turned his face away abruptly, staring at the sun that still shone bright in the sky after hours upon hours.

"The time periods have always been irregular," he said quietly, finality in his voice that did not tempt her to broach the topic any further. Blood began to leave the garden, barely glancing at Alice as he called over his shoulder.

"Let us relocate to the courtyard. I wouldn't want anyone to get any ideas if we stayed here too long, and God knows you have enough rumors about men swirling around you anyways," his haughty voice grated upon Alice. Hadn't he said he was going to be at least somewhat civil to her? Alice stormed out of the garden, gritting angry words behind her teeth, practically biting her tongue off in an attempt to keep silent.

"Surprising. You're not using your sweet little tongue to try to seduce Elliot? Look, he's coming up right now," Blood commented lazily, gesturing at the bouncing hare that was coming their way.

"You said I couldn't go home because he was out," Alice spat out through a clenched jaw, two words away from giving the bastard a piece of her mind. Blood laughed, twirling around and grabbing a lock of her free hair. He wound it around his finger, a mischievous smile flitting at his lips.

"I'm sorry princess, I lied," Blood murmured. He tugged lightly at her hair, pulling her closer to him, and planting his lips firmly upon hers. Alice's eyes grew wide in shock. For a moment, the errant thought entered her mind, _he smells just like him_. Alice pushed it, and him, away immediately, slapping Blood with all the force she could muster as she did so.

"You disgusting, horrible, malicious man. What is wrong with you?" Alice hissed, eyes darting towards Elliot frozen in shock several feet away. Blood followed her gaze, the smirk once again sneaking onto his face.

"Oh? I didn't think you would mind. I'm sure you get around enough anyways," Blood retorted, stepping back from her, his eyes spiteful and cruel.

"I hate you Blood Dupre," Alice hissed, feeling the tears begin to form in her eyes. "I absolutely hate you." And she turned on her heel and stalked away from his mansion, wiping off the tears that now fell down freely. Her surroundings blurred around her, they melded together as she tripped and stumbled, desperate to get as far away from Blood as possible, anywhere was acceptable, as long as it was away from him. She heard a slight rustling and stopped suddenly, rubbing at her eyes and glancing around her. Alice found herself in the thick of the forest, trees around her as far as the eye could reach. And then the words came rebounding back to her. _The forest is dangerous today._

She froze in horror; the rustling sound came again and again, closer and closer, louder and louder. Alice could not force her feet to move, her throat to scream, it was as if her mind and shut down and she could no longer function. The rustling sound was nearly upon her now, footsteps were now clear from behind her. And then, silence. The cessation of sound scared her almost as much as the sounds had. Minutes passed, her heart beating furiously throughout her entire body, pounding in her ears and her mouth dry from fear. Slowly, Alice forced her body to turn around, and screamed. Boris was standing there, a confused expression on his face.

"Alice?" Boris asked incredulously, she could almost detect the slightest hint of disappointment coloring his voice. "Oh, it's Alice." He said again, this time more brightly. He grabbed her hand and began walking, chattering nonsensical chatter as they walked. Alice smiled and walked alongside him, his hand against hers sent warmth spreading through her body, his callused skin tickling the softness of her hand. Before she knew it, he had gently guided her out of the forest, and disappointment flooded through her body as he let go of her hand, apparently it had only been to make sure she hadn't gotten lost in the darkness. Although, if they walked around holding hands, Blood might find yet another excuse to rail on her for being a whore, Alice thought darkly. She frowned as she thought of him, his accusations and slander all flooding back in a tidal wave. Any attempts to block out his voice were impossible; it rang rather annoyingly in her head. However, she happened to remember his insistence on her not entering the forest, the mysteriousness when she had questioned as to why.

Alice then glanced at Boris, wondering if he might answer her questions. The sun was still high in the sky and she was growing more and more curious as her inquiries were constantly deflected.

"Boris, why's the forest supposed to be dangerous today?" Alice asked, cocking her head to the side as if it was a casual, throwaway comment. Boris turned his innocent, disbelieving eyes on her.

"Didn't Julius tell you? The forest is always dangerous, no matter what," Boris responded firmly. "If you're in there too long, if you travel too deep into the forest, you go crazy, see? I bet it's horrid, you forget who you are and where you come from, you essentially a body without a soul after a while." Silence fell between them, both reflecting on this morbid image.

"But we always travel through the forest, to get from the clock tower to anywhere," Alice protested, wrapping her head around this new piece of information.

"That's the thing. Every thousandth time period, the weird-ness of the forest gets especially strong, that's why you're not supposed to walk in the forest," Boris shrugged, as if this was all terribly uninteresting to him. Alice had to smile a little; he had the attention span of a child. "Alice! Let's go to the park! I know we played there last time, but remember that super jet teacup roller coaster thingie? Gowland _promises_ it's been through all its safety checks, and it's supposed to be a blast." His enthusiasm was contagious, Alice felt herself agreeing to him without even realizing it. Boris chattered on excitedly, and they were at the gates of the park when Alice suddenly stopped.

"The teacup ride?" she asked incredulously, eyes growing wide when she registered Boris' words. "The ride where I almost died? That ride?" Boris grinned again, eagerness glowing from his entire being.

"No. Absolutely not," Alice refused bluntly, already turning back towards the clock tower. She could always help Julius fix clocks today; she didn't need to have fun. After all, Alice thought in irritation, having fun in Blood's book meant seducing more men. She shook her head, clearing herself of him and his maliciousness.

"Aw, already Alice? Let's go have fun! You promised!" Boris insisted, edging towards the gate of the amusement park. Alice let out a sigh, weighing her options.

"Oh, don't worry Boris, she enjoys teasing and tormenting any being of the opposite sex she can find," a deep voice interrupted, a voice that made Alice's fist clench and hair stand on edge. Boris immediately strode casually over to Alice, standing protectively in front of her, blocking Blood Dupre from her view.

"Gee Blood, you sure like bothering Alice. First the ball and now here. I wonder if she likes it as much as you do," Boris replied with an easygoing smile, but hand hovering over his gun.

"See what I mean? Hiding behind another man, using her charm to get him to do whatever she wants," Blood spat, his face condescending as he stared down at her.

"I thought we agreed that you would stop treating me like an outsider," Alice hissed, stepping out from behind Boris. Blood shrugged, as if that conversation had been entirely inconsequential to him.

"I thought you were going to stop being a whore. I guess we both thought wrong," he commented lazily, staring past her as if this conversation were beneath him.

"If ya' haven't noticed, Blood, you tend to be wrong about a lot of things," Boris observed lightly, his grip on his gun tightening. Blood raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms as if daring Boris to move.

"Oh? And what might you be referring to?" His voice was quiet, deadly. Venom pours from the simple sentence, a clear challenge presented in his tone.

"Don't take it out on Alice because you always lose," Boris hissed, his normally carefree attitude suddenly thrown away. Blood's cane immediately flew up into a gun, malice and bitter hate filling his eyes.

"Lost the game, have I? All I need to do is kill you and I've won. You can't win twice cat," he jeered. Alice immediately pushed in front of Boris, knocking the gun out of his hand as she did so.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Alice began, "but will you stop with the killing? I've decided I don't care if I'm naïve, it's _wrong_ to kill, life is more precious than you think, so stop. Because there will only ever be one Blood Dupre or one Boris Airay, so just stop!" Boris stared at her in shock for a moment, staring down at his now empty hand. Blood rolled his eyes condescendingly, returning his gun back to its original state.

"I originally came because I would not want the Queen to order my execution, and she very clearly ordered Alice to find accommodations in my mansion tonight," Blood shrugged indifferently, as if the matter was of no importance to him.

"The Queen? You two talked without you shooting her head off?" Boris sniggered, his playful personality almost immediately returning to him.

"Her Majesty did not grace me with her presence, she sent a messenger," Blood replied smoothly, Alice was surprised at how easily the lies seemed to come out.

"Well, will you look at that," Boris sounded amazed, "The messenger's still alive? Anyway, looks like we won't be able to ride the teacups, I wouldn't want to kill anyone in front of you, and it looks like I'd have to if I insist on keeping you to myself. Go find Elliot and stay away from Blood if it bothers you too much. Sorry!" He glanced at Blood for a split moment, and a look of gratitude seemed to cross his face, relief and gratitude. However, he turned away quickly Alice felt she had imagined it, how could Boris Airay threaten to kill Blood one moment and be grateful to him another? Boris was off quickly, the same urgency creeping into his demeanor as it had this morning. Alice was bewildered, where was it that he had to run off to that he would leave her alone with Blood Dupre of all people? The memory of his kiss stole into her mind and a blush crept onto her cheeks, anger and resentment returning strong within her body.

"I'd rather not stay," Alice said stiffly, barely glancing at Blood. He let out an irritated sigh, sending her a look that quite clearly said he didn't care.

"You have to," Blood shrugged, already turning and walking back towards the mansion. Alice hurried to catch up after him, blood boiling in her veins.

"You are completely blowing things out of proportions. You know I'm not trying to seduce these people and you promised to stop treating me like an outsider, so will you please follow your word?" Alice snapped, clenching the creases in her dress, anger flooding her entire being. Blood paused for a moment within the gate, glancing around at their surroundings. Almost reluctantly, Alice followed his gaze, starting at the rather romantic settings. The sun was finally setting, making the sky shine a pink hue, bathing the bushes and trees surrounding them in a pulsing sunlight. A beautiful arch hung overhead the two, roses that Blood undoubtedly had tended to himself twining within the white. Alice's breath caught, for a moment absorbed in the beauty of the moment, forgetting both her troubles and the man standing in front of her. However, his hand brushed lightly at her shoulder, lips tickling at her ears.

"What if I was jealous?"


	3. Secrets and Lies

Alice froze for several moments, gazing in disbelief at the dark depth of Blood's eyes. For an instant, she felt the tugs on the strings of her heart, gazing into the face that was so similar to _his_. For one absolutely insane and absolutely beautiful moment, she convinced herself the sincerity that seemed to pour from his very being. Alice bit her lip in hesitation, staring but not speaking. Almost reluctantly, her hand reached up towards his hand that was still curled around her hair.

"Oh, the expression on your face," Blood snickered, pulling away. Alice's hand dropped, biting her tongue at the sudden change in atmosphere and the sadistic expression on his face. She tasted the metallic tang of blood. "Did you believe me, my little whore? Stop staring at me like I'm your ex. Don't stare at me with those ravenous eyes, transforming me into someone I'm not. Don't ask me to not treat you like an outsider when you won't quit treating me like some disgusting boy from the past. Glance in my direction like that one more time, and I'll cut your eyes out." His words came out in a bitter hiss, cape fluttering as he swept away. Alice opened and closed her mouth several times as words refused to choke out. She felt her knees give way underneath her, slumping miserably onto the ground as if his spiteful words had been slaps to her face.

She breathed heavily, fighting against the ice that seeped into her heart. Why had she deluded herself for even a moment? How could she have let herself believe a mouth that only lied and eyes that could not light with any nuance of sincerity? Swirling green and luscious blues swirled into the hazy crystal of her eyes, fighting against the tears that gathered at the corners of her weak heart. Clearly, appearances signified nothing. It mattered not if he was the doppelganger of the one she had once loved, perhaps even still held feelings for in the crevasses of her heart, Blood Dupre held not even a miniscule drop of the same sincerity, kindness, and laughter that had exuded from her past love. Similar in appearances, but never in their demeanor, Alice reminded herself firmly as she lifted herself off of the ground. Never again would she fall for his softly whispered words, nor the seductive lull of his voice that could so enchant her. Never again.

"Excuse me, is there a place I can stay?" Alice questioned politely, lightly tapping the shoulder of one of Dupre's servants. The man smiled genially, immediately ceasing whatever task he had been occupied with in order to assist her.

"Why, of course. Please, just this way," his deep voice rumbled as he turned on his heel, in the direction of the mansion. She stepped over the threshold and sighed in bliss at the coolness of indoors, glancing outdoors in confusion at the persistent sun that hung high in the sky. She glanced furtively at the servant leading the way, the slightest of frowns playing at her lips as she observed his features. How the others in this world could not distinguish between the 'faceless' servants was an enigma that never ceased to puzzle her. Each was ever so distinct from the next, as different as Peter was from Ace. Perhaps, she pondered cautiously, this man could answer her questions.

"I have a question," Alice ventured hesitantly, leaning slightly toward the left to look the servant in the eye. The cheerfulness did not leave his face as he bobbed his head agreeably. "Today's time period is… inexplicably long. I've never seen the day last so long in all my time here, six or seven time periods would have passed in just this one. What's happening?" She was surprised at the jolt that went through the servant, the cheer that dropped from his suddenly crestfallen face.

"Alice, missus, I'm afraid you've fallen upon us during a very dark hour. There were happier times than now, much, much happier than now. There were smiles all around. It was a time when Ace was never lost, Boris did not partake in his dangerous activities he so delightedly indulges in today, when Julius smiled more often than he frowned, and when master Dupre," the servant's voice entered a dream like state, the obvious bliss of that time period coloring the slight nuances of his tone as he spoke. Alice watched as his face seemed to transform, absolute content and longing evident upon the wizened creases of the man. He was, however, interrupted by a clearing of the throat. Alice turned in surprise to see Elliot leaning upon the railing of the stairs, the normal innocent gleam of his face vanished.

"Elli-" Alice did not receive the chance to finish calling his name. Instead, a scream escaped her frame as a loud bang filled the silence of the mansion; smoke distorting her vision for just a moment as Alice shook in terror. Her knees buckled and she fell next to the man, just a moment ago so alive, so kind and cheerful, and now, dead. Even in death, the smallest of smiles seemed to dance mockingly upon his lips, eyes still open. A tear rolled down her cheek as she stared down at the servant, willing him to get back up, to be alive. However, blood seeped upon the fringes of her socks and clothing as he passed into oblivion. With shaking hands she touched the bullet wound lightly, it had been a clean shot, straight to the man's heart.

"How could you?" Alice whispered, disbelief coloring her voice as she stared up at Elliot. His eyes were hard as he glared back; eyes trained more upon the now dead servant than Alice.

"It was necessary," Elliot replied dully, turning his head and calling a servant to him. Nervously, the small girl skittered up to him, fear clearly shaking her petite frame. "Go to the Queen and tell her we'll need a new head of the house, this one couldn't keep his mouth in check. And tell her it'll have to be someone from Afterward, it's too dangerous if it's not." His orders were crisp and cool, so different from the Elliot Alice had thought she had known. The girl scurried off, lips mouthing the message as she did in order to not forget it.

"Alice, let's get going then," Elliot called out cheerfully, the sudden change in demeanor shocking Alice. She ran up the stairs after his retreating back.

"How can you act like that? _Murder_ someone one moment and the skip and cheer and smile the next? Elliot!" Alice reprimanded harshly, jerking at his sleeve. She, however, received only a sad smile in response.

"So, you and Blood?" he teased lightly, concealing the hard light that tainted his gloomy eyes with a, in Alice's opinion, pathetic attempt at a joyful smile. Alice flushed and averted her eyes, temporarily distracted.

"I. Have. Nothing. To. Do. With. That. Man." she spit out, red seeping into the corners of her eyes, fists clenched and her frame shaking stiffly. Even the mention of his name caused the flare of anger to lash at the chains of her self-restraint. Elliot's face relaxed for a moment, the easygoing smile she had grown so accustomed to crowning his features. He stopped before two grand doors, jerking his head towards a servant who hurried forward to swing open the doors. Alice gave the slightest gasp of surprise.

The room was, to say the least, extravagant, and yet, beautiful in its simplicity. The slightest giggle of delight escaped her as she pranced into the room, eyes gleaming in amazement at the oversized room. The lazy, lavender curtains that hung over the windows allowed her to see the entire sprawling expanse of the kingdom, a grand piano glistening in the corner of the brightly lit room, and the bed, draped too with curtains and also pristine sheets. She launched herself onto the bed with, this time, a loud laugh, hugging a pillow as she rolled around the large expanse. Alice uttered a yelp of surprise as she rolled off the bed, finding herself suddenly on the gentle carpet that seemed to stroke her skin as she fell on top of it. Alice chuckled at herself, allowing her hands to roam upon the softness of the carpet, bumping against her white long socks stained with blood. She froze. Her momentary ecstasy was forgotten as the look of the man's face as the light escaped him filled her mind. Silently, she rose from the floor, glancing at Elliot who had been laughing at her antics.

"I'd like to be alone for a little bit," she finally said quietly, eyes trained upon the ground and hands tucked neatly behind her back, unfailingly polite. She did not look up as he turned from the room, she did not see the flash of pain and hurt that passed his face as he opened his mouth to speak, but then closed it and turned away, crestfallen. It was not until Alice heard the click of the door that she allowed herself to crumple to the ground, sobs ripping from her body as the scene of the man's death played again and again in her head. She despised the murder, the _casualness_ of murder that was so eminent in this new world. With shaking hands and through the tears that blurred her vision, Alice peeled off her socks, tossing the bloodstained memories into a laundry bin.

Almost hesitantly, Alice peeled open the dresser that stood in the corner of the enormous room, shocked to find it replete with various women's clothing. Hesitantly, Alice pulled out a dress and held it to herself, wiping the last of her tears as she did so. It was slightly small, but it would still fit. Holding it at arm's length, Alice took a moment to admire it. Truly, it was well made and painstakingly so. Whoever this had been made for, Alice mused as she ran her fingers over the soft, silk fabric, had been well loved. The affection with which the dress was made seemed clear in the perfection of the stitching, the perfection with which the dress seemed to reflect the most perfect shades of purple and glisten with the rays of the sunlight. Stripping off hers, Alice slipped into the dress, staring in amazement in the large mirror hanging on the wall. It was simple at best, with a sweetheart neckline and sleeves that hung loosely off of her shoulders, the dress itself reaching to about her knees. A white bow hung around the waist and, Alice grudgingly admitted as she took a breath, the former wearer had been a tad smaller than she. Alice closed her eyes, imagining how it had looked on whomever it had been intended for. Was she beautiful? Did the dress cling to all the right curves and flow upon the petite frame more gracefully than it did upon hers? She shook such thoughts from her mind with a rueful smile and turned back to the dresser, opening the bottommost drawer to find a line of shoes neatly lined up. Picking out a pair of simple, white flats that seemed to be made for the particular dress, She turned towards the door, surprised to find Blood standing at the door. A flush covered her cheeks.

The look upon his face, however, was unfathomable. Crystal blue eyes locked with dark brooding ones, and it seemed a million words were spoken in that one look. Alice felt the loneliness, the wistful longing that manifested more clearly on his face that she had ever been privileged to witness before, felt it with such acuteness that it was turned to pain. He cleared his throat after a moment, voice rough from emotion that Alice could not quite comprehend.

"I was only passing by to invite you to dinner," he explained quietly, surprising Alice. She had braced herself for another caustic remark, for the malice that his venomous words were always laced with. Alice inclined her head politely.

"If you are so kind to invite me, I would be honored," she replied, neither hate nor companionship coloring her voice, indifference shining in her eyes as she finally turned away from him.

"She is so unlike the original wearer of that dress," Blood muttered to himself silently, the slightest tinge of acrimonious longing tainting his voice, so silently Alice wondered from a moment if she had imagined it, if she had perhaps heard him wrong. Her eyes darted upward to question him, but he was already gone.

Alice wandered through the mansion, ignoring the subtle whispers from a few servants as she walked by, passing through the archway into the garden where she had first had tea with Blood. There sat the twins, arguing over a rather sharp knife, Alice observed with a wary smile, Elliot, and, of course, Blood. She cleared her throat and curtsied delicately, taking her place in between Elliot and Blood. Shock passed fleetingly through Elliot's expression for a moment, before his face colored and he turned quickly away. The twins dropped the knife and stared blatantly, both mouths open to form a comical picture. Blood however, kept his eyes trained well upon his plate of food, giving Alice the slightest of nods to acknowledge her presence.

"Ele?" the twins blurted out simultaneously, the inexplicable disbelief they felt coloring their tone. Elliot's head whipped around towards Blood in distress, but he merely sipped at his tea, quirking one eyebrow in the direction of the two children.

"I would rather not freshen your memory, but they are hardly similar in appearance. I would advise you to keep your mouth firmly shut," Blood responded, the threat that was sure to be followed through clear in the hard words. The twins, however, barged onwards recklessly.

"But the dress! The dress is Ele's!" they exclaimed, insistent in their belief. With casual laziness, Blood reached over to his cane, which had been leaning upon the side of his chair, and flipped it into his hand, turning it into a much more compact and dangerous weapon as he did so.

"I would advise you to keep your mouth firmly shut," Blood said again, deadly in the quiet intonation of his words. Immediately the twins fell silent, slipping cakes into their mouths to obviate the necessity to respond. Elliot smiled and began to speak boisterously in a transparent attempt to release the tension.

"Blood! These cakes are the best! You know what is really good? Carrot cake with carrot toppings and carrot frosting, not saying anything against this cake though, it really is fantastic. But just because I like carrot desserts does not mean I'm a rabbit…" the hum of his voice continued onward as Alice was lost in her own thoughts, processing the scene that had just played before her. So there was a name to the owner of the dress, she mused as her fingers stroked the soft fabric. Ele. Simple yet beautiful. Was that the way she had been? Where had she gone? Alice's eyes darted towards Blood, taking in his emotionless face. What had the servant wanted to say, before Elliot had ended his life? Had there been a time where Blood's expression was filled only with joy? Or perhaps, even love? Alice shook her head and laughed silently to herself, shaking the ridiculous thoughts from her mind. There was no reason for her to wander in such dangerous territory, it was no business of hers what Blood's past may or may not have been. Elliot nudged her, his bright smile filling her view as he inched closer.

"Alice! This is a party, well a tea party, but in the sense of the word, they're both parties. You can't just sit there and laugh to yourself, tell us the joke!" Elliot teased, pouring her more tea and popping another carrot cake into his mouth. She laughed and nodded in agreement. It would do her no good to ponder on subjects that would only bring her insecurity and uncertainty. And she had already decided that she would never again fall for Blood's antics. Giving Elliot the brightest of smiles, Alice allowed herself to be absorbed in the festivities with her companions as the bright sun still beat down upon them from high in the sky.

Alice sank into the soft covers of the grand bed, exhausted by the day that had never ended. The moon had finally snuck out over the edges of the hills and relieved her from the heat of the sun, and also Blood's tea party. It had only taken one or two hours for Elliot to decide to indulge in a bit of alcohol, complaining that Ace was much more entertaining to drink with than Blood, considering that Alice had refused and the twins were much too young. She had been surprised, however, when Blood sipped, regal as he always was, at the bottle Elliot had rambunctiously shoved into his hand. And then another bottle. And then another. Alice giggled to herself, he could drink just as much as Ace and show absolutely no effects. A sudden knock on her door jolted Alice out of her reverie and she heaved herself reluctantly off of the bed.

"Blood?" Alice questioned in surprise as she swung open the door. Her shoes clattered to the floor as they slipped out of her numb fingers. After everything he had done, after every malicious word he had spat into her face with hate-filled eyes, why and _how_ could he be standing there, staring at her with those eyes? It seemed that the pain that she had perceived earlier in the day had only been a ghostly reflection of what Blood held within himself. Suffering that exuded from his very being stabbed through Alice, pierced her mercilessly. He seemed a man lost, lost within his own world of pain and loneliness. It scared her. He stumbled into her bedroom, eyes wildly searching the room as an animal trapped in an unknown environment.

"Blood, you're drunk," Alice reprimanded as she grabbed his arm and heaved him into a chair. Again, underneath the stench of alcohol that tainted him, Alice smelt the slightest whiff that stopped her heart, which reminded her of her lost love. She shook her head, reminding herself of the promise to herself. A clumsy hand reached towards her face, grabbing it roughly and forcing her to turn her head towards him. His grip only tightened as she attempted to jerk away.

"You," he whispered coarsely, eyes spinning wildly in an attempt to focus. "Who are you to be wearing that dress? Who?" Alice felt her heart skip, finally stumbling away from him and gasping. It was none of her business, it did not concern her, she should not seek…

"Who's dress was this?" she finally whispered, afraid, so violently terrified, of hearing the truth. A rough laugh escaped from him as he vaulted from the chair, stumbling towards her.

"Do you understand? I want to rip that dress from your body, I want to rip it from your body and then tear it into unrecognizable pieces of fabric, unrecognizable. Then I'll burn it and burn away all the memories. And do you know what I'll do after that?" he grabbed her hair, pulling at it and forcing her to approach him. "Do you know what I'll do little Alice? I'll rip out this hair because it's not the black that I love, and then I'll carve out those eyes that aren't the right shade of violet, burn the lips that don't curve the way I want them to. I will _destroy_ you, because you aren't her." His last words were forced out breathlessly, punctuated with a vicious snarl. Alice scampered away, forcing her eyes to look anywhere but the violent malice that filled the darkness of his heart, the suffering and sorrow that exuded from his very being. Blood pulled out his gun, shooting it arbitrarily as Alice raced towards the door.

"Blood! Blood! Stop it!" she screamed above the sound of the gunshots, attempting to force reason into the dead soul. He approached her slowly, forcing her against the wall of the bedroom she had once seen as so magnificent, forced her towards her death. Alice bit her lip to keep from sobbing as the gun entered her line of vision, forgetting to breathe as his finger fell upon the trigger.

"You're not her," he whispered, voice filled with bitterness. "Why aren't you her?" Time slowed down as she watched his finger pull down upon the trigger, as her lids fell heavy over her eyes, not wishing to see the last scene of her death played out before her. But the loud shot never came; she never felt the piercing bullet digging mercilessly into her skin. Almost hesitantly, Alice opened one eye, and then both flew open.

"B-Boris?" she exclaimed, allowing herself to breathe as she saw him towering over Blood, both his gun and Blood's each in one hand. He turned an eye towards her, never allowing Blood out of his sight.

"Sorry Alice. I was very, very stupid to leave you alone with him today. No one should be alone with a guy like him, ever, don't'cha think? But especially not today," Boris joked, attempting to lighten the mood. He threw Blood's gun on the ground in disgust, leaning closer to the drunken man.

"Watch yourself Blood. There are very few things in this world I wouldn't forgive, especially when it comes to you, but you are very bordering very close upon one of them," Boris hissed, eyes narrowing in the delivery of the concealed threat. Blood did not respond, only covered his eyes with his hand and heaved a sigh. Boris shook his hand in disgust, grabbing Alice's hand as he walked obstinately out.

"Well, the way things've turned out, looks like you'll be needin' a place to bunker down, yeah? We've got lots of places in the park, and old man Gowland won't mind at all, he loves you," Boris chattered cheerfully, guiding her carefully out of the mansion, one hand always on his gun. He paused for a moment, swiveling his head towards Alice. "We all do."

"Not Blood," Alice whispered, shame coloring her face as she looked away. A comforting squeeze enveloped her hand as Boris responded.

"He does love you, we all do. He just loves you too much, Alice, that's his problem," Boris explained soothingly, pulling her along all the while. Despite the relaxed manner of his speaking, he seemed eager to be away from the mansion, an urgency filling his steps.

"Well I'll never love him, never in the entire time I'm here will I ever love him back," Alice retorted stubbornly, allowing her hand to slip out of his as she crossed her arms. Boris laughed, laughed that beautiful tinkling laugh that seemed to dance with joyous tones, allowing a casual arm to sling over her body.

"That's good then," his voice light and teasing, automatically more relaxed when they stepped over the threshold into his territory. "Just love me best, okay?" Alice laughed and pushed him away, feeling the ice that had been forming around her fragile heart beginning to melt.

"Of course Boris, you're always my favorite," she responded with a quirked eyebrow, laughing as she did so.

"Oh really? Well who says you're mine?" he retorted, pulling her back under his arm. Alice stuck her tongue out in response, pulling at the collar around his neck.

"Well I had better be Boris Airay! Or else… or else…" Alice trailed off face scrunched in an attempt to think of a proper punishment

"Or else you'll stutter at me?" Boris mocked, swinging open the door with his free hand and a foot. Alice laughed and rolled her eyes, a smile warming her face at the sight of his. It seemed he was everything Blood was not. Playful and caring, always keeping an eye out for her. She never felt the discomfort and insecurity that was forced out in the mere presence of Blood when spending time with Boris. It was only content and happiness that filled her heart.

"Boris. Who's Ele?" Alice asked suddenly, shocking herself out of her own thoughts. She had already committed herself and Alice was determined to piece together every missing piece of the puzzle. And Boris was the only one who was ever honest with her. He shrugged nonchalantly, as if it were entirely inconsequential to him.

"Some girl. She was the first outsider to ever come here, and everyone loved her, blah, blah, blah," Boris explained, boredom clear in his voice. He swung open a door suddenly, revealing a room not nearly as grand as the one she had stayed in in the mansion, but charming in its own way. She turned around to thank him, but he had disappeared. Cocking her head in confusion, Alice opened her mouth, but was interrupted by a ghostly hand covering it.

"Boris?" Alice murmured through the gag, fear freezing her for a moment. A silent laugh confirmed her suspicion, and she pushed him away in annoyance. "Scare the wits out of me during the middle of the night why don't you!" She turned and found him standing there, a smirk plastered onto his handsome features.

"I went to get you a shirt, silly!" Boris retorted, tossing a rumpled white cloth to her. Alice made a grab for it, blinking in surprise as it slipped through her fingers. He laughed gently and reached over to pick it up, stepping closer to her and placing it firmly in her hand. "You need something to sleep in, right?" His voice was deep, eyes sparkling in the playful way they always seemed to do. Alice nodded wordlessly, a bizarre blush spreading across her cheeks.

"You okay? Do you have a fever or something? You're red," Boris asked in concern, sweeping a hand over her forehead. Idiot. Alice glanced anywhere but at his kind face. He was simply compassionate towards everyone; there was nothing special about her, nothing that endeared him to her especially. Perhaps that was the reason she enjoyed his company. Alice smiled and assured him nothing was fun, bidding him good night and slipping into the quaint bedroom. She slipped off the purple dress and allowed it to crumple into a corner of the bedroom, tucking it away just as she did with every unwanted memory that haunted her every waking moment. With a satisfied sigh, Alice threw on the oversized shirt, it fell upon her frame long enough to be excused as a dress, and snuggled into the covers of the bed, not nearly as grand as the one in the mansion, yet entirely more relaxing. And as Alice was falling into oblivion, as her mind wandered deep into the mysterious abyss of dreams and sleep and despite the hardships she had been forced to endure in just a single day, she was content.


End file.
